Indices to local census returns...

Ever wonder why census reports are sometimes less-than-accurate? This job description was printed in the Vermont Genealogical Society's Branches & Twigs:
     "I am a cencus taker for the city of Bufflow. Our city has groan very fast in recent years and now, in 1865, it has becum a hard and time consooming job to count all the peephill. Thare is not meny that can do this werk, as it is necesarie to have a ejucashun, which a lot of pursons still do not have. Another atribeart needed for this job is good speling, for meny of the peephill to be caounted can hardle speek inglish, let alone spel there name."
(The editor added with tongue-in-cheek, "Pity the poor reserchers triing to reed the Bufflow centsus rekurds.")

The earliest tabulations of the residents of Hope Township I have seen are two 1799 reports: one by Elias Smith and the other by Augustus Jones.

Phyllis H. White transcribed the Oaths of Allegiance of men of Port Hope/Hope Township for 1801-1806, and Catharine Tozer has started to file away any references to each of the men on the list with a view to following them for a few years afterwards. Hopefully we'll be able to share her findings with you in the future.

The Crown Deeds of Hope Township, showing concessions and lot owners...

The Hope Township tax assessment rolls indices for 1802-1807, located in the collections of the Trent University Archives (Peterborough, Ontario)...

A great deal of gratitude is owed by area researchers to the late Percy Climo of Cobourg, who took it upon himself to create a head-of-household index of the 1803-1851 Hope Township census returns, available in hard copy at both Port Hope and Cobourg public libraries. These records have been transcribed for online searching with the kind permission of his great-nephew, Dan Climo.

1803    1804    1805    1806    1807    1809    1810    1811

1812    1813    1814    1815    1816    1817    1818    1819

1820    1821    1822    1823    1824    1825    1826    1827

1828    1830    1831    1832    1833    1834    1835    1836

1837    1838    1839    1840    1841    1848    1850    1851

Although there are no census returns for 1842-1847, assessment returns, showing concession/lot owners, for those years can be found on Shirley Horner's site.

Unfortunately, there isn't an 1851 census available for Port Hope. Therefore, to my knowledge the 1847 Assessment of the Town of Port Hope, also originally transcribed by Mr. Climo, is the only document we have showing the property owners of Port Hope prior to the official census of 1861. When browsing through it, please keep in mind that the entries were Mr. Climo's interpretation of often-illegible and/or faded entries. I hope I haven't misinterpreted HIS hand-written entries too badly!

Barbara and I have compiled indices for the 1861 Port Hope and 1861 Hope Township returns. These indices are non-alphabetized, as it is often useful to see the neighbours and with whom the strays were living. The page number at the end of each entry indicates where the full listings can be found on the microfilms at the Port Hope Public Library.
For those indifferent about the location of the neighbours and strays - and as an aid to a quick check of surname spelling variations - we've included the alphabetized versions of the Port Hope and Hope Township returns.

Thanks to the amazing efforts of John Allan, Bob Symons, Ken Macpherson and other tireless volunteers of the Ontario Genealogical Society, the following Port Hope/Hope Township census returns are available for on-line searching:

* 1871 Port Hope
* 1871 Hope Township
Queen's University Library has the 1871 Ontario census index (heads of household only).

* 1881 Port Hope
* 1881 Hope Township
The Latter Day Saints' site provides an online search of the 1881 Canada census returns, along with the 1880 US and 1881 British returns.

* 1891 Port Hope
* 1891 Hope Township

As well, the above three census years (1871-1891) can be searched by surname at the Ontario Genealogical Society Provincial Index site.

* 1901 Canada census returns at the National Archives site, prepared by dedicated volunteers!

* 1911 Canada census returns at the Library and Archives Canada site, also indexed by volunteers!

The c1898 Port Hope Bell Telephone Directory...

The 1900 Port Hope Bell Telephone Directory...

Courtesy of Don Workman, of Port Hope, we have transcribed the entries from the 1920 Hope Township Voters' List.

The OntarioGenWeb Official Census Project, begun 01 March 1999, is well worth your consideration. The intention is to eventually have every Ontario census available for free online searching. Those currently completed, including our two, can be found there. Should you wish to make a lasting contribution to this project, your involvement will be very much appreciated by present and future generations!


Barbara & Peter Bolton - Port Hope, Ontario, Canada
www.nhb.com/hunter/
Copyright © 2000-2007 PJBolton